Road Work | Week of July 20-24

July 17, 2026  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Weekly Road Work reports are assembled with information from the Vermont Agency of Transportation on projects in the region, the Waterbury Public Works Department, and other local highway departments for projects in Waterbury and neighboring communities as necessary.

Motorists are reminded to drive with caution through work zones and to follow posted speed limits. Speeding fines are doubled in work areas along the interstate.

Waterbury

Town Highway Department crews have a full to-do list for the coming week. Supervisor Celia Clark shared some of the highlights with most work being weather-dependent. 

Crews will continue shoulder work along the Barnes Hill Road paving project, ditching work on Shaw Mansion Road. They may tackle a culvert replacement on Perry Lea Road on Wednesday, if weather allows. In other various locations grading and roadside mowing will be ongoing. 

Motorists are asked to be alert and to slow down and give crews room in work areas.  

Interstate 89 | Waterbury-Montpelier, southbound

Paving on I-89 Southbound. VTrans photo

In the past week, crews have completed installing guardrail along the Exit 8 off-ramp and rehabilitating several drainage structures.

For the coming week, crews will be scheduled for night work Sunday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. 

They will be focusing on putting down the final top course of pavement on the Exit 8 (Montpelier) and Exit 9 (Middlesex) ramps. They also will be removing temporary pavement markings. If the weather allows, they will install new pavement markings.

To do the ramp work, ramp closures will be needed. Motorists will encounter southbound I-89 Exit 8 and Exit 9 ramp closures throughout the work week, with message boards directing specific detour details. There also will be some southbound lane closures between Exit 10 in Waterbury and Exit 8 in Montpelier.

• Exit 8 SB On/Off Ramp closures are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday

• Exit 9 SB On/Off Ramp clsoure is scheduled for Wednesday

Detour routes for specific Exit 8 ramp closures are:

• Exit 8 southbound On-Ramp closure - Memorial Drive to U.S. 2 East to U.S. 302 East to Berlin State Hwy to VT 62 west to Exit 7 south.

• Exit 8 southbound Off-Ramp closure - I-89 SB Exit 7 to VT 62 East to Berlin State Hwy to U.S. 302 West to U.S. 2 West; or I-89 Exit 9 SB to Middlesex State Hwy to U.S. 2 East.

• Exit 9 southbound On-Ramp Closure - Middlesex State Hwy to U.S. 2 East to Bailey Avenue to Memorial Drive to I-89 Exit 8 South.

• Exit 9 southbound Off-Ramp closure - I-89 SB Exit 8 to Memorial Drive to U.S. 2 West (Bailey Ave) to U.S. 2 West to Middlesex State Hwy; or I-89 Exit 10 SB to VT 100 south to U.S. 2 East to Middlesex State Hwy.

The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph and fines will be doubled.

Interstate 89 Southbound | Richmond-Waterbury, southbound

Paving in progress on I-89 southbound north of Waterbury during smoky conditions this week. VTrans photo

For this resurfacing project, shoulder work and berm removal has begun and milling of old pavement continues.

This week will see both daytime and nighttime work hours. Motorists can expect one lane of travel between Exit 11 in Richmond and Exit 10 in Waterbury (MM 63 to MM 76), with occasional northbound closures at the U-Turns during working hours. 

Motorists are urged to use both lanes to merge points and should anticipate slow-moving travel, uneven lanes, and milled surfaces. Do not follow construction vehicles into the work zone. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph and fines will be doubled.

The work schedule this week will include both daytime and nighttime crews. From Sunday through Thursday, night work from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. will be ongoing for milling on I-89 starting near Exit 10. This work does not include the ramps.

From Monday through Friday, between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. continued guardrail work will be underway just south of Exit 11. 

Motorists are asked to use caution and follow posted speed limits in the work zones.